The present invention relates to a step for a recreational vehicle and, more particularly, to a retractable-extendable step permitting ingress into and egress from a recreational vehicle and a method of assembling same.
Recreational vehicles (RVs) are a well known part of American life and come in many different configurations. Some are stand-alone units, possessing all the elements of an ordinary vehicle in addition to a living and sleeping quarters. Others must be towed behind a conventional vehicle, usually by means of a tongue-and-ball system, a hitch system, or a fifth-wheel and kingpin system. In any event, however, all RVs are characterized by their dual naturexe2x80x94on one hand, a living and sleeping quarters; on the other, a moving vehicle.
The use of the RV as a living and sleeping quarters is much enhanced by facilitating easy ingress into and egress from the interior of the RV when it is stationary. Because the floor of the RV may be quite a distance (more than a usual stepping height of 8 to 12 inches) from the ground outside the RV, a step may be provided at a level intermediate the ground and the door sill in order to ease ingress and egress. Such a step is typically mounted to the RV frame for stability and is best provided at a point somewhat outside the vertical plane formed by the side of the RV, so that a person exiting the RV may step through the door while facing forward.
However, a step fixed at a location outside the vertical plane formed by the side of the RV poses an obvious hazard when the RV is in motion, such as on a highway. For that reason, it is helpful to have a step that may be extended when the vehicle is stationary, and retracted when the vehicle is in motion. Various steps capable of this function have been proposed. For instance, Wonigar, U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,827, discloses a stowable step for vehicles, the stowing action of which is accomplished by a system of slotted supports and links which work to fold the step under the vehicle. The system of U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,827, however, is complicated, using many moving parts to accomplish this stowing function. Other typical systems are likewise complicated. They may require specialized tools to assemble or attach them to the frame. They may be sufficiently complicated that it is practical only to assemble the entire system at the point of manufacture, which leads to increased costs for shipping the unit or for attaching it to the RV frame. Additionally, they may be susceptible to breakdown or malfunction because of the failure of one of many parts.
A subsidiary problem associated with the retracting and extending function of the step is the need to keep the step in the desired position while maintaining ease of movement between the retracted and extended positions when such movement is desired. For instance, when the RV is in motion, bumps or sharp turns in the roadway might induce the step to move unexpectedly from the retracted position, creating a hazard. Alternatively, when the RV is stationary, a person stepping onto the step might be injured if the stepping force caused the step to move unexpectedly toward the retracted position.
It is therefore desirable to have a step that includes relatively few moving parts, that may be assembled remotely from the point of manufacture and assembled and attached to the frame without the use of specially adapted tools, and which is capable of being placed and maintained in either a retracted or extended position.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a step system of relatively simple design, which is mountable to an RV frame and is retractable and extendable as well as able to be maintained or locked in a retracted or extended position. It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a step with parts in disassembled relation, in order to minimize shipping and inventory costs, but which may be assembled without using complicated procedures or specially adapted tools.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a method of assembling a step for a recreational vehicle and mounting the step to a vehicle frame, the method being accomplished without specially adapted tools and resulting in a step that is securely mounted to the frame and movable between and lockable at retracted and extended positions.
Briefly summarized, the present invention includes a step mountable to an RV frame, generally including a step tread unit with a slider rod and at least one locking tab, and a pair of end plates, each slotted to receive an end of the slider rod and to receive a locking tab. The present invention further includes a method of assembling a step for an RV without using specially adapted tools, generally including the steps of mounting one of the end plates to the RV frame, inserting opposite ends of the slider rod into slider slots in the end plates, and then mounting the second end plate to the RV frame. The method of the present invention is capable of being performed by persons of limited mechanical skill and training possessing only ordinary tools, enabling it to be practiced remotely from the point of manufacture of the step.